The Return
by flavumetrubrum
Summary: Naruto stood outside the gates of Konoha, staring at his old home. He had dreamed about this moment for two long years, and now that he was finally home he was too scared to go inside. He had changed so much in the time he had been gone.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the Naruto characters. This is my first Naruto fanfic, so let me know what you think.

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Naruto stood outside the gates of Konoha, staring at his old home. He had dreamed about this moment for two long years, and now that he was finally home he was too scared to go inside. He had changed so much in the time he had been gone. Six months of torture had made him more reserved and quiet. He had become much stronger while training during the year he lived with Kizake, the ninja who rescued him from Kabuto. And he had become used to solitude while living alone for another six months. He was afraid of how his old friends would receive him. Naruto took a deep breath and walked through the gates. He had come this far, he might as well see his "mission" the rest of the way through.

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Tsunade sat in her office, leaning on her desk and dozing off. Technically she was supposed to be filling out paperwork on the latest missions, but she still had a hangover from the night before and didn't want to think about anything. She jumped when someone knocked on her door; she had asked not to be disturbed.

"Come in," she said irritably. _This had better be important._ The door opened and one of her ANBU guards walked in. He bowed quickly.

"Shikamaru is here to see you about his mission, Tsunade-sama," the guard reported.

"Send him in," she sighed. _I suppose this is important._ She quickly smoothed down her hair and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, sitting up in the chair. She pulled out a file and began to go through the motions of examining it. When the young ninja entered, she gratefully shoved the file aside and motioned to a chair on the other side of her desk. "So, how was the mission?"

"Very troublesome. You really should check your ranking system; that had to be at least a B-rank mission. But we completed our goal and all returned safely," the lazy shinobi answered.

"Thank you for reporting so quickly. I'm sure you're tired; go get some rest…." The hokage was interrupted by someone else knocking on her door. "I'm in a meeting," she snapped.

"This is very important, Tsunade-sama. A strange ninja is here to see you on a matter of urgent business," she recognized the voice of Shizune, her faithful assistant. If she had come herself, it must be important.

"Fine, send them in; I'm almost finished." She turned to Shikamaru. "I'll expect your formal report tomorrow; for now go get some rest." Both ninjas looked at the door when it opened. A strange ninja walked in and stared at them, not saying anything. He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt with a hood that was pulled up over his head, black pants, black sandals, black fingerless gloves, and black forearm protectors. He had on a black mask covering the lower half of his face leaving only his eyes visible. They were a striking blue—a blue that brought back many memories; some pleasant, some painful. Tsunade instantly hated those eyes. Only one person was allowed to have eyes that color, and that person was dead.

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Naruto stiffened when he saw his old friend Shikamaru in Tsunade's office. He had prepared himself to meet the hokage again, but he hadn't been ready to see friends yet. Shika was much the same—his dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his outfit was almost identical to his old one, fishnet and all.

"Well? What do you want?" Tsunade's gruff voice broke his thoughts.

"I see the hospitality here has declined since I was last in the village," he answered wryly. He saw Tsunade motion for Shikamaru to leave them alone. He hesitated for a moment before stopping him. "No, wait. You don't have to leave."

"You said you've been here before," Tsunade said, allowing the other Konoha shinobi to stay. "Who are you?" Naruto hesitated, unsure of how to answer. He had been prepared to reveal his identity, but now that it was time he was unsure of how to proceed.

"Uh…. You probably won't believe me even if I tell you," he replied lamely. Tsunade had a look on her face that plainly said "try me." Shikamaru looked as uninterested as usual. Naruto couldn't help but smile at the difference in his two friends. "I used to live here, a long time ago. But I, uh, was captured two years ago and only just returned."

"I don't remember anything about a Konoha ninja being captured two years ago," the hokage said, an obvious note of disbelief in her voice.

"That's probably because you think I'm dead." Naruto reached up and pulled down his mask and hood, revealing his striking blonde hair and whiskered cheeks. Tsunade and Shikamaru gasped.

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Shikamaru was too lazy to show emotion. As a rule, his face always remained passive and uninterested. But when Naruto, his good friend Naruto who he thought was dead, showed his face in the hokage's office, Shikamaru broke that rule. His mouth fell open and his eyes instantly widened. He took a step backward, scarcely believing what he was seeing.

"N-Naruto?" Tsunade whispered. Shikamaru was too shocked to speak. Naruto was a few inches taller than he had been when they were fifteen, and was much more muscular. His hair was longer and hung over his now-visible forehead protector and framed his face. His whisker marks had grown darker and more pronounced with age and he had a long, jagged scar stretching from the top of his forehead, over his left eye, and down his cheek. But it was still Naruto, his long-lost friend.

"Who else?" Naruto replied. It was then that Shikamaru really looked into his eyes for the first time. They were much older looking, much wiser. They were harder than they used to be, but held the same determination they always had. Shikamaru finally found his voice and cleared his throat.

"Where have you been? We thought you died in the battle with Orochimaru," he said. He watched as those eyes turned to look at him.

"Around. Nowhere I wanted to be, but all over the place," Naruto replied. He smiled then for the first time, and Shikamaru was glad to see a little of the old Naruto peeking through this strange new one. "Trust me; I didn't stay away any longer than I had to. I missed you guys."

"Yeah, well…. It was a drag around here without you. I'm glad you're back."

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Naruto left the office with Shikamaru, leaving behind a very stunned and speechless Tsunade. He had promised to come back tomorrow once his return had sank in and fill her in on what had happened during his absence. In truth, he was glad he had a day before he had to explain himself. It had been a shock for him, too, to see his friends again, even though he had been expecting it. He looked over at his friend, who was now wearing his trademark bored expression—the look which was rivaled only by Shino's.

Shino. Naruto thought about his other friends. Would they be as shocked to see him alive? There was the rookie 9, or eight, not including him. Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Ino, Sakura…. He wondered how Sakura would take his return. They had become close after Sasuke left the village, and he was sure she had been devastated by his "death." And Sasuke. He knew he had been rescued by the Konoha shinobi before Naruto had been captured, but whether or not he had stayed in the village he didn't know. There was also Gai-sensei's team: Neji, Lee, and Tenten. Then there was Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Jiraiya, and Konohamaru. And Yamato and Sai, whom he had grown close to while searching for Sasuke.

Part of Naruto couldn't wait to see his other friends, and part of him dreaded it. How would they react? Did they miss him? Were they even still in the village? He looked again at Shikamaru, wondering how to word his question. "Um, Shikamaru? How is everyone? I mean, are they all…." a_live. _Naruto shuddered at the thought of any of his friends having died in his absence. Shikamaru looked at him, obviously expecting him to finish his question. "…here?" he finished lamely.

"Uh, not everyone." Shikamaru quickly elaborated at his friend's alarmed expression. "Everyone's okay, Naruto. But Gai-sensei's team and Team Kakashi are on a mission." Team Kakashi? Naruto wondered who all that included now. Kakashi, of course, and Sakura, Sai, and Yamato. And Sasuke, if he was still in the village.

"Oh. Um, hey…. Do you mind if we stop by the inn? I need somewhere to stay."

"Are you crazy? You can stay with me; my father won't mind. Tomorrow we can go clean up your apartment. It's a little dusty, but just like you… left it." Naruto blinked. They had left his apartment alone? They hadn't rented it out to someone else?

"Uh…. Thanks," was all he managed to reply.

"Do you want to go get some ramen? Some of the guys are always down there about this time."

"Um, sure. Why not?" But Naruto wasn't as sure as he sounded. Some of the guys? He didn't know if he was ready for this.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to Morcalivan7 and InARealPickle for your reviews. I still don't own the Naruto characters. Enjoy!

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Naruto walked into the ramen shop behind Shikamaru, his hood and mask again hiding his identity. He had asked his friend not to tell anyone who he was yet—he wanted to do it when he felt ready. He glanced around the familiar restaurant, spotting a few familiar faces. He didn't see any of his old friends, however, and wondered if Shikamaru had been mistaken. He followed the lazy ninja deeper into the restaurant, toward a door in the back. He opened it and walked in, and was immediately met with the gazes of several of his old friends.

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Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Choji, and Ino sat around a small table, smiling at the newcomers. They were surprised to see a strange ninja with Shikamaru, but any friend of his was a friend of theirs. Choji stood and walked over to them. He was taller than he had been at fifteen, and he had lost a lot of weight. He now truly had the appearance of only being "big-boned." His smile widened and he extended his hand toward the strange ninja.

"Hey, Shika. Who's your friend?" he asked, still grinning at the masked ninja.

"Um, this is…."

"My name's Kizake. I'm visiting the village for a while," a voice coming from under the mask replied.

"Well, Kizake, as long as you're here, you're one of us." Choji led the young man to the table, pulling out the chair next to his. Shikamaru sat down to Naruto's left. "Kizake, this is Kiba… Hinata… Shino… and Ino. Naruto shook each one's hand as he was introduced, thinking to himself how ridiculous this was. He looked back at Hinata, who was looking at his brilliantly blue eyes, blushing. He quickly looked away.

He noticed Shikamaru staring at him out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at him. The other ninja was eyeing with a "well, are you going to tell them?" look. Naruto shook his head and turned back to Choji, who had continued to chatter on after finishing the introductions.

"…and Uchiha Sasuke are all on a mission, but you can meet them when they get back, if you're still here…." Choji stopped when "Kizake" began to choke, pushing his chair back from the table.

Shikamaru looked sharply at Naruto. He had reacted strongly to hearing Sasuke's name…. Had he not known he was still in the village? True, Naruto had rescued him; but he had died, or rather been captured, before Sasuke had promised to return to the village. That was another thing that confused Shikamaru. They had found Naruto's body—or a body that very closely resembled his—in the aftermath of the battle. They had buried him and held a funeral for anyone who wanted to come. Had it been some kind of jutsu, or a clone, or…. Shikamaru assumed he would get the answers tomorrow in the meeting with Lady Tsunade—he had been invited to join them since he knew already.

Shikamaru decided to tell him about everything that had happened after he disappeared that night at his place. He would want to catch up on how everyone was doing and what had gone on in the village. But for now, he decided to enjoy his time with his friends.

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Sorry it was so short. I'll try to post a longer chapter soon. Please tell me what you think so far.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the long wait. I was working on another story and unfortunately this one kind of took a back seat. I'll try to update on a regular basis from now on. Thanks to Morcalivan7, InARealPickle, BigfootSighted, and injuiin-luna for your reviews. I still don't own the Naruto characters. Enjoy!

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As Shikamaru and Naruto walked through the streets of the village, Shikamaru decided to ask the question that had been bugging him ever since they left the restaurant. "Hey, uh, Naruto? Why didn't you tell everyone who you are? I mean, you told me and Tsunade-sama."

Naruto stiffened beside him, but his facial expression didn't change. "I just… it was only two people before. Two of my best friends. That was…. I mean, they were all my friends, but… I just wasn't ready. I wanted to, but once I got there and saw all of them, I just couldn't. I will tell them, I just need some time." Shikamaru nodded, trying to imagine what his friend had gone through during his absence. He quickly gave up, the images that popped to mind being too unpleasant. "So, what's been going on since I… left?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "A lot of boring missions, pointless training, and exams."

"Exams? What is everyone ranked now?" Shikamaru noted the half-curious, half-dreading tone in his friend's voice.

"We're all mostly still chuunin, but Neji, Sasuke, and the Sand Siblings are all jounin," he replied to his friend's question.

"Oh." Shikamaru should have known Naruto still hadn't had any chance to retake the chuunin exam—after he came back from training with Jiraiya he had been too busy searching for Sasuke, and then he had… well, after he found him he hadn't really been around to take it. Of course it was a sensitive topic for Naruto—not a lot of seventeen-year-old shinobi as strong as Naruto were still genin. Actually, Shika couldn't think of any. "You sure your father won't mind me staying with you? I'd be fine in the inn," Naruto said, obviously attempting to change the subject. Shikamaru let him.

"Would you stop it, Naruto? This is getting troublesome. Of course he won't mind." Naruto was quiet for a while after that, but Shikamaru noticed that he seemed a little less stiff. At least he was loosening up a little bit. This strange new Naruto was beginning to creep Shikamaru out. The number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja he had known as a kid had seemingly been replaced with this quiet, sullen clone. But maybe he was just still dealing with seeing all of his friends again after so long. Surely he would be himself after a little while. Maybe even once they were alone and way from all the memories, he would act like Naruto again.

"So Sasuke actually came back." Naruto's voice startled Shikamaru out of his thoughts.

"Uh, yeah. Look, I'm sorry I didn't prepare you beforehand. I just kind of assumed you knew…."

"No, it's okay. You didn't know. Is he, uh… how is he?" Naruto asked, obviously unsure of how to ask his question.

"He's still Sasuke. If possible, he's even more of a loner than he used to be—except when it comes to Team Kakashi. He's either alone or with one of them, always training." Naruto nodded absently, a distant look on his face. The two friends continued down the street in silence.

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Naruto thought about what Shikamaru had just said. So Sasuke had finally come home and returned to his old habits, and Naruto hadn't been there. True, it was because of him Sasuke ever returned at all, but he still felt bad for not being there for his friend. Had everyone accepted him back, or had he been estranged from the group? Had he estranged himself? It sounded like he was on good terms with their old team again, but was that it? Had the rest of the Rookie 9 rejected him or had he simply kept himself isolated from their friendship?

Naruto suddenly realized that he hadn't said anything since Shikamaru stopped talking, so he tried to keep the conversation going. "Has anything interesting happened around the village? Any big missions or attacks or… anything?" The lazy ninja next to him looked up quickly when he started talking, obviously startled.

"Oh, uh… not really. The Sound village almost declared war on us two or three times, but what else is new?" Naruto responded with a small laugh, earning a lazy smirk from his friend. The blond shinobi again fell into silence, unsure of what else to talk about. The two ninjas had entered the awkward stage between small talk and really going into details, and Naruto wasn't ready to spill his guts yet. So he settled for companionable silence.

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Umino Iruka walked through the streets of Konoha, searching for Shikamaru. The lazy genius had been due at the academy an hour and a half ago, and he hadn't even sent a message saying he couldn't make it. Iruka wasn't one to get excessively angry, but he was a little more than annoyed as he spotted the shinobi walking nonchalantly down the street with an unfamiliar ninja. The academy instructor quickened his pace as he headed toward the two, opening his mouth to lecture the irresponsible Nara boy. Just as he was about to talk the strange shinobi froze mid-stride and exclaimed, "Iruka-sensei!"

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Again, I'm sorry about the wait. Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	4. Chapter 4

I have to apologize for the incredibly long wait. I've been lacking inspiration for this story, but after watching a few Shippuden episodes yesterday, I think I can actually write this chapter. Also, I'm sorry for the abrupt ending to the last chapter. I hope this one makes up for it. Thank you so much for reading.

Thanks to Morcalivan7, InARealPickle, BigfootSighted, injuiin-luna, wolfkun, starlightscribe, and drake999 for your reviews. I still don't own the Naruto characters. Enjoy!

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It took Naruto a second to realize what he had done. He glanced around quickly to make sure no one had noticed, then looked back at Iruka-sensei who was eyeing him quizzically.

"Do I know you?" the jounin asked, peering under Naruto's hood. Naruto motioned his former sensei into an alley and ducked inside, checking to make sure no one was following them. Shikamaru grabbed his arm and leaned to whisper in his ear.

"Naruto, I've got to get to the Academy. I'll meet you at my place later. You okay?" Naruto nodded and Shikamaru left, lazily making his way to the Academy. Naruto turned back to look at Iruka, whose eyes had gone wide and whose mouth had dropped open.

"N-Naruto? Did he call you Naruto?" _Damn Shikamaru and his loud mouth, _Naruto thought. He plastered his trademark grin on his face and pulled his mask down, revealing his face but leaving his hair covered.

"What can I say? You just can't get rid of me," If possible, Iruka-sensei eyes grew even wider.

"B-but you were… I saw you and…." Iruka's eyes filled with tears and he reached out to grab Naruto's shoulder as if to reassure himself that he was real. "Is it really you Naruto?" Suddenly Naruto found it impossible to speak around the massive lump in his throat. He hadn't expected to be affected so much by seeing his sensei again, but he had obviously missed him more than he thought. He nodded slightly, 

staring at the ground. The next thing he knew he had been pulled into a tight embrace and, to his great surprise, he was hugging his friend back.

Eventually Iruka pulled back and looked intently at Naruto. They now stood at almost the same height, looking each other directly in the eyes. "What happened?" he choked, noticing that the younger shinobi wasn't returning his gaze.

"Um… I'd rather not tell you here. Is there anywhere we can go?" Iruka looked around as if realizing where they were for the first time.

"Of course. We can go to my apartment." Naruto pulled his mask back over his nose and followed Iruka-sensei out of the alley and down the road.

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It was getting dark by the time Naruto finally left Iruka's apartment and headed toward Shikamaru's home. His friend was probably wondering where he was by now, and Naruto didn't want to keep him waiting too long. He walked down the road, going over his conversation with Iruka in his head.

At first they had stuck to events in the village and how everyone was. Iruka was excited about some new students in the academy who showed a lot of promise, and slightly less enthusiastic about one or two of them. Naruto was more than a little shocked to find out that Konohamaru and his teammates had passed the latest chuunin exam, but when he thought about it, it made sense. They would be fourteen now, definitely old enough to have taken and passed the exam. Still, it sparked a little bit of his old competitiveness to know that the kid who had once looked up to him now outranked him.

The closer Naruto got to Shikamaru's, the slower he walked. The events of the day were beginning to sink in, as was the realization that tomorrow he would have to explain to the Hokage and Shikamaru what had happened during his years away. He had come close to telling Iruka everything, but had merely explained his capture and the fact that he had eventually escaped and made his slow way back to the village.

Soon Naruto realized that he couldn't delay his arrival at the Nara home any longer. He walked hesitantly up to the door of the medium-sized house and knocked quietly on the door. He barely had time to move his fist before the door swung open, revealing an older version of Shikamaru. Naruto had only seen Shikamaru's father a few times, but there was something about seeing him there that really drove home the fact that he had returned. He floundered for a few moments before finding his voice.

"Um… I think Shikamaru is expecting me…."

"Ah, you must be Kizake. Come in; he's upstairs." Naruto nodded his thanks and swallowed hard, hoping he could make it to his friend's room before he broke down.

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I'm sorry it's short again, but I'm going out of town for the next five days and I wanted to go ahead and post what I had so far. I'll be working on the next chapter while I'm gone, but I won't have internet access so I should have something to post shortly after I get home.

Sorry it's moving so slow, but I'm trying to give little insights into Naruto's mind without giving everything away yet. I hope it's not too boring. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. Thank you for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to Morcalivan7, InARealPickle, BigfootSighted, injuiin-luna, wolfkun, starlightscribe, drake999, Nightshade-Shinigami, Shikamaru's babygirl, Sesshomaru's Love 1991, Neonlights, and cheekagirl123 for your reviews. I still don't own the Naruto characters. Enjoy!

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Naruto sat just outside the Hokage's office, his stomach twisting and his breakfast threatening to make itself known again. The ninja didn't recall ever being as nervous as he was at that moment. He tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair he was sitting in before standing up and pacing back and forth in the hall.

From his seat next to Naruto, Shikamaru tried his best to hide a smile. He knew he shouldn't be amused, but the more nervous his friend became the more he reminded Shikamaru of his old self. Sit down, Naruto. You'll wear a trench in the floor." The blonde shinobi barely acknowledged that his friend had spoken as he continued to walk back and forth. "How troublesome…." Shikamaru mumbled. "Look, Naruto, if you don't want to do this today you don't have to. Nobody's forcing you to tell us anything."

"I… I'm fine. I have to go ahead and do this," Naruto replied without looking up from the floor in front of his feet. Shikamaru frowned, thinking he sounded less than sure of himself. Both boys jumped when the door to Tsunade's office swung outward. Shizune stepped into the hallway and sent them in, remaining behind as they closed the door.

The Hokage looked up as they entered, and her eyes softened when they fell on Naruto. He obviously hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and he looked like he was about to be sick. "Naruto, it's good to see you again. Shikamaru," she said, nodding to each of them in turn. They both returned the gesture before taking a seat in the two chairs Tsunade had by her desk. Naruto was looking everywhere but at his friends, and he found his eyes being drawn more and more to the open window behind the Hokage. "Well, Naruto, do you want to start or shall we?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at Tsunade for the first time since entering her office. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, but didn't answer. "Naruto, are you sure you're okay?" Shikamaru murmured, eyeing his friend.

"I, uh… that is, maybe…. I, um… I gotta go!" Naruto leapt to his feet and sprinted across the office, jumping out of the window and making his way across the roof tops of Konoha. Shikamaru made as if to pursue him, but Tsunade stopped him with an uplifted hand.

"Give him some time, Shikamaru. He'll tell us when he's ready. I think this is harder on him than he's letting on. Give him a little while and then go find him." The young ninja hesitated for a moment before nodding and leaving the office through the door. Tsunade turned her chair around and stared out her window in the direction the boy had left. "What happened to you, Naruto?"

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Naruto didn't stop until he reached a training area far away form the Hokage tower. He wasn't sure where he was, so he looked around to try to get his bearings. To his surprise he had ended up next to the memorial stone. He approached it warily, scared of what he might find there.

Naruto took a deep breath and searched toward the bottom of the monument for what he knew had to be present. "There it is. Uzamaki Naruto," he said out loud. He chuckled softly to himself, remembering the time he had told Kakashi-sensei that he would one day get his name on the monument. Of course, that was before he had known it was a memorial to shinobi who lost their lives in battle. He soon sobered, however, as he perused the names written after his own. Some were familiar, others weren't. But it was still tragic how many ninjas had perished while he was gone.

Naruto started as someone landed behind him, barely making any noise. He assumed it was Shikamaru and didn't look, waiting for his friend to say something. The voice that spoke, however, did not belong to the lazy ninja.

"Did you know him?" Naruto's head whirled around at that, recognizing the voice immediately. Kakashi stood behind him, staring past him at the monument.

He realized that he needed to answer but only managed to mumble, "Huh?"

"Naruto. Did you know him?" For a second Naruto thought his old sensei knew who he was, but then he realized that he had only heard what he had said.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Naruto forced out. He was still reeling from the morning's events, and he hadn't expected to run into anyone from his old team yet. They must have gotten back early.

Kakashi finally shifted his eyes to Naruto, a puzzled look in the only visible one. "I don't seem to recall ever meeting you. I'm Hatake Kakashi; I was Naruto's sensei when he was younger. How did you know him?"

"I, uh… met him on a mission." Kakashi looked at him quizzically for a moment before accepting his vague answer and continuing the conversation.

"He was some ninja. But I guess you know that. What brings you here?"

"I was… in the neighborhood." Kakashi nodded, looking back at the monument. Naruto followed his gaze for a moment before snapping his eyes back to his former sensei. "What was he like?"

If Kakashi was surprised by Naruto's sudden question, he didn't show it. The corner of his visible eye crinkled, and Naruto could tell he was smiling mischievously. "He was an idiot." Naruto frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Kakashi beat him to it. "Naruto was one of the best shinobi I've ever worked with, and by far the most determined. He never quit, and he never broke his word. He wasn't fearless, but he always faced his fears. He never gave up on anyone, and he was quicker to forgive than anyone I've ever met. He had more reasons to hate this village than anyone I know, and yet all he wanted to do was protect it. He was… a better person than most."

Naruto was fighting tears by the time Kakashi finished his speech. He cleared his throat and forced himself to ask another question. "How… how did he die?"

Kakashi was silent for a long moment, and Naruto thought he wasn't going to answer. Finally the older ninja replied, in a voice choked with emotion, "Protecting the village." And with that, he was gone.

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I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I think I like it, but I had to do a major re-working of my original draft to get it even this acceptable. Please let me know what you think. And I'm sorry about the wait. I had to sit down and really think about where I'm going with this. I think I have a plan now. Thanks so much for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own Naruto. Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed so far. You guys are awesome!

Italics show flashbacks, by the way.

A/N: I'm sorry I took so long to post this chapter. I had a very hard time with this one. I can't tell you how many versions of the flashback I've written and discarded, and I'm still not sure I'm happy with it. But I think it's the best I can do, and you guys deserve more frequent updates for being so patient with me. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this long. I hope this makes up for the wait.

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Shikamaru stood in a tree on the edge of the training ground, watching Naruto stare at the memorial stone. He had passed Kakashi-sensei while he was looking for his friend, and the jounin had seemed shaken. Shikamaru had pieced it together then and come looking for the blonde shinobi at Team 7's old training ground. When he arrived, he found Naruto kneeling in front of the memorial, his head bowed and shoulders shaking. Shikamaru decided to give him some more time and sat down on one of the large branches of the tree.

Shikamaru looked away, trying to ignore the memories that were flooding his mind. His throat clenched and his chest ached as he remembered how he heard about Naruto's death.

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_Shikamaru rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth, trying to steady his heavy breathing. He glanced to either side, making sure Choji and Ino were still with him, and then stared after the remains of the Sound army. Something must have happened; they had been fighting the vast number of enemy shinobi for at least twelve hours, and neither side had gained an advantage. _

_Then, suddenly, the Sound army had stilled, staring dazedly in front of them and dropping their arms to their sides, some even letting their weapons fall to the ground. The Leaf ninjas had also stopped fighting when they saw their actions. They two sides faced off, silently, until someone cried out, "Kill them now!" This broke the trance, and the sounds of battle ensued again. The Sound army did not fight back; some stayed as they were until they were cut down, others ran away into the surrounding forest. _

_Now Shikamaru, his team, and the rest of the chuunin from Konoha stood staring in shock. The battle, or at least their part of it, was over. "What… what was that all about?" Shikamaru heard someone ask aloud. Behind him, Kiba swore._

"_Something must have happened. Maybe Orochimaru called them off," another speculated. More murmuring was heard all through the field, some attempting to explain the event and others merely expressing their disbelief. Shikamaru didn't know what to think, so he remained silent. _

_Eventually, a commanding voice broke through the general noise. "Everyone find your teams. As soon as you're all accounted for, administer to the wounded. If you can walk, help the medical teams. If not, stay out of the way until you're taken care of." After a moment the dazed, exhausted shinobi moved into action, finding their teammates and moving the seriously injured away from the battlefield. Ino left immediately to help the rest of the medical ninjas, and Choji and Shikamaru began helping the others. _

_Shikamaru kept an eye out for the rest of their friends. He had seen Kiba and Hinata, and neither of them looked badly wounded. He knew that Lee and Shino had been taken away from the battle early on, wounded too badly to continue fighting. That left Tenten, Sakura, and Naruto still unaccounted for. Knowing Naruto, he had probably been a part of the battle against Orochimaru himself. The thought wasn't reassuring. _

_It felt as if the relief effort lasted as long as the battle itself. By the time the wounded were cleared from the field, Shikamaru was ready to collapse. Kakashi had stopped by at one point and announced that Orochimaru had been defeated. The shinobi were too exhausted to celebrate. _

_Something was off about the jounin, but considering what the village had just been through that didn't surprise Shikamaru. He let it go and followed Choji into the village proper, hoping for a few hours' sleep before helping with the rest of the relief effort. _

_He didn't make it home, however, before he and Choji were stopped and told to help relocate the villagers. Shikamaru mumbled something about trouble and headed where he was directed. Kiba and Neji were there, and they both looked shaken. Kiba appeared to be fighting tears, and Shikamaru's stomach clenched with dread._

"_What's wrong, Kiiba? Is it Shino?" Choji asked, his voice wavering slightly. _

_Kiba took a deep breath and stared at the ground. "No, Shino's fine. He'll be out of commission for a while, but there's no lasting damage." He didn't continue, and Shikamaru frowned deeply._

"_Then what is it?" he prompted, his gaze shifting to Neji's face. The jounin's expression was dark and his eyes misty._

_In the end it was Neji who answered. "We just came from the site of the battle with Orochimaru. We…," Neji's voice caught and he cleared his throat. "There were so many casualties…. Among them was…." He paused, and Shikamaru paled._

"_Who?" Shikamaru demanded breathlessly. _

_It was a long moment before Neji replied. "Uzumaki Naruto."_

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That had been one of the worst moments of Shikamaru's life. The only event he recalled with as much pain was watching Asuma die at the hands of Akatsuki. He didn't remember anything else about that day; apparently he hadn't said anything after being told the news. He had merely helped the villagers and brooded silently. He did, however, recall the following days of grieving and rebuilding their village.

Nothing had been the same after that. Even as the village was restored and the morale grew among the villagers, the shinobi community had been devastated. Naruto had only been one of almost sixty shinobi deaths. There didn't seem to be a single ninja who hadn't been affected by the loss of a friend or family member.

Among the Rookie 9 and their friends from Team Gai, a deep sadness and depression had set in. Shino and Lee were soon released from the hospital, and the group met on a regular basis. But without Naruto…. Shikamaru shuddered. It had been months before they were able to laugh among themselves again, and even longer before they began to feel a sense of normalcy. But the gap was always there.

"I'm sorry I ran off like that." Shikamaru was startled out of his thoughts when Naruto landed on the branch in front of him, falling into an easy crouch.

It took Shikamaru a moment to process what his friend had said. When he did, he frowned. "There's no need to apologize. We understand. You don't have to tell us anything until you're ready."

Naruto cleared his throat and looked down. "I may not be able to talk about what happened yet, but…. I think it's about time I tell everyone who I am. There's no need…. I'm being selfish. I'm ready to tell my friends that… that I'm alive."

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	7. Chapter 7

Well, it's about time! I finally found my muse for this story again, and I'm excited about it! Unfortunately my inspiration comes in spurts these days, so I'll try to make the most of it while it's still with me. Speaking of which, I hope you all are still with me! A huge thank you to all of you who have kept this story on alert for so long. Please review!

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Shikamaru and Naruto stood just inside the door to Naruto's old apartment, surveying the room. A thick, brown layer of dust covered everything, and the air was stale and heavy. All of Naruto's old possessions (which weren't many, Shikamaru noted) were still scattered about the room where he had left them.

"Geez. It's even worse than when I got back from training with Jiraiya," Naruto muttered, waving a hand in front of his face.

Shikamaru walked across the room to the window and pulled the curtains aside. Both boys coughed as a cloud of dust was stirred up. Shikamaru quickly lifted the glass pane to let in some fresh air. "It would be worse, but I think Sakura comes every so often to clean up a little bit."

Naruto smiled at the thought, then frowned. "Look, Shikamaru. I'm not naïve enough to think that my apartment was kept out of sentimentality or anything. Why wasn't it cleared and rented out?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Apparently the Third Hokage had some ongoing thing set up with the landlord. I guess you know he paid for your apartment while he was alive?"

Naruto nodded. "I wouldn't have had anywhere to stay otherwise."

"And after he died?"

"I never really thought about it," Naruto admitted, his brow creasing in thought. "I mean, I did at first. I kept expecting the landlord to say something about it, but he never did. I guess I just forgot."

Shikamaru flicked a dead bug from the window sill, watching as it fell to the ground outside. "He had something set up with the bank. They automatically transferred your rent money from the Sarutobi account every month. It wasn't until after you were gone that Tsunade found out, and…. Well, the Sarutobi clan never complained, and the landlord got his money, so she just left it alone."

Naruto nodded. "So…. You're gonna help me clean it up, right?"

Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

Naruto smirked, knowing fully well that his friend had every intention of helping. "Because the sooner this place becomes livable the sooner I can move out of your place. I hate to be such a bother."

Shikamaru sighed loudly. "Fine, I'll help. But you're doing all the dirty work."

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Two hours later the two shinobi stood back and surveyed their work. The almost suffocating dust was mostly gone, and the small kitchen and bathroom had both been scrubbed down. The bedding was currently laid over the table and chairs, airing out.

Naruto wiped his hands on his pants before turning and opening the door. "Well, we've done what we can for now. Might as well find something else to do."

Shikamaru responded with a noncommittal grunt and followed Naruto out the door and down the narrow steps to the street. They walked in silence for some time, neither really knowing where to go. Naruto let his mind wander along with his feet. Just being in Konoha again was bringing back so many memories—both pleasant and unpleasant—that he had thought forgotten long ago.

Eventually Naruto looked around him and found that he had subconsciously followed one of the most frequented routes of his younger days. He stood barely twenty feet from Ichiraku's ramen stand. A smile slowly spread over his face and his stomach gave an involuntary rumble. "Hey Shikamaru. You hungry?"

His companion looked up, apparently having been lost in thought himself. "Sure. It's about lunch time anyway." The two walked to the small restaurant and sat down at the counter.

Ichiraku smiled at them and handed them both menus. Naruto couldn't help but grin at the sight of the old man. "It's good to see you again, Shikamaru. What would you both like?" he asked.

They placed their orders, and Naruto turned to his friend. "Man, I can't wait! I almost forgot how much I missed this place," he said enthusiastically.

Shikamaru smiled, but it faded as soon as Naruto looked away again. Judging by Naruto's behavior, Shikamaru would have thought absolutely nothing had changed. Sure, Naruto wasn't quite as loud and animated as he had once been, but he was acting more and more like his old self. Shikamaru was extremely pleased to see this, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was genuine. He had seen him in his room the night before, in the Hokage's office, and at the memorial stone. Was this just an elaborate cover-up that the young man was purposefully erecting?

Shikamaru was broken from his thoughts when Ayame placed their orders in front of them. "Enjoy!" she said cheerfully, then turned away. Naruto picked up his chop sticks, and hesitated for a moment. He had perfected the art of eating without showing his face, but he had also decided not to hide who he was anymore. Finally, he reached up and pulled his mask down. His hood quickly followed, and Naruto began to eat his food.

Shikamaru stared at him, his own food all but forgotten. He was still very unused to the other ninja's appearance. It was the scar that stood out to him most now, however, and he was disturbed by the images the sight recalled to his mind. The… body… they had found had had a wound in that exact same place; one that would have left an identical scar.

Eventually Naruto looked up at him, an eyebrow lifted curiously. "Geez, Shikamaru, if _you're_ looking at me like that what am I supposed to expect from everybody else?"

"Sorry," Shikamaru murmured, turning to his rapidly cooling bowl of ramen. "I just… it still hasn't completely sunk in, you know?"

Naruto nodded, his face now completely serious. "I know. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all." He smiled, then. "And I knew I was alive all along."

Shikamaru returned the smile tentatively, then began to eat his own meal. The two sat in undisturbed silence for some time until Ayame turned around to check on the customers. She stopped abruptly, mouth hanging open, and dropped the empty dish she had been holding. Both shinobi looked up at the sudden noise and found the young woman staring at Naruto intently, eyes wide and mouth open.

Their gaze seemed to break her out of her trance, and she quickly knelt and began to pick up the pieces of the shattered bowl. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just…," she looked up at him, frowning deeply. "You remind me of someone who used to come here a lot."

Naruto smiled. "Long time no see, huh?"

She stood, the pieces of glass she had gathered falling back to the floor. "Naruto?" she asked, joy and disbelief mixing in her voice.

"Yeah," was all he said in reply.

She looked to Shikamaru, then. "Is it really him? You all said he was dead."

Shikamaru's face darkened a little even as he smiled. "We thought he was dead. But he wasn't, and he came back yesterday," he explained.

"Dad!" she shouted suddenly, and both ninjas jumped. Ichiraku turned around, evidently having missed the whole scene that had played out behind him. "Guess who's here?"

He stared at the two customers, long and hard, and finally his eyes widened in recognition. "Naruto? How can it be?"

"It's a long story. We'll just say… I was detained outside of the village for a while, but I'm back now and I intend to stay."

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Naruto and Shikamaru left the ramen stand after a long talk with Ichiraku and Ayame. Naruto had really enjoyed seeing them again, but now that they were walking through the village he felt extremely self-conscious about his exposed face and hair. He scratched the back of his head nervously, casting an anxious glance around for anyone else he knew. He relaxed slightly when he didn't see anyone, but the queasy feeling in his stomach remained.

"So, is there anywhere else you want to go? Any place you've been dying to see again?" Shikamaru asked, breaking the silence.

Naruto thought for a moment. "Not anywhere in particular. At least, not that I can think of. I might just wander around for a while."

Shikamaru eyed him, and nodded. "I, uh, I have somewhere I need to be soon. If it's alright with you I'll head that way."

Naruto smiled, glad that Shikamaru had picked up on his wordless request to be alone. "Yeah, that's okay. I'll see you later." Shikamaru nodded and turned down a small street off of the main road. Naruto continued on his way, rebuilding his mental map of Konoha.

He was staring up at the Hokage monument when someone bumped into him, sending him stumbling backwards a few steps. He regained his balance and glanced around to find the person who had collided with him. A dark-haired ninja lay sprawled on the ground a few feet away, glowering at him. "Hey, watch where you're going, buddy. I…." The boy's eyes widened as he stared up at Naruto, and his mouth fell open. "No way…. You're…." The kid scrambled to his feet and backed away, eyes practically bulging out of his face. "What are you?" he whispered.

Naruto tilted his head to the side, trying to place the shinobi. His eyes narrowed as something about his face rang a bell, then widened as he placed the boy. "Konohamaru! You… god, you've grown up." He smiled and took a step forward, glad to see his young friend.

Konohamaru backed up more, however, and drew a kunai from his weapons pouch. "What _are _you?" he repeated, eyes dark and face screwed up in the epitome of fury. "How _dare _you pretend to be Naruto?"

"Pretend? What are you talking about? It's me, Konohamaru. I prom—" Naruto was cut off as the kunai was launched at his face. He was barely able to block it with one of his own before it made contact. "Hey!"

"Stop it! You're not him! He's dead!" Konohamaru lunged at him, a new kunai in each fist. "I'll kill you!"

Naruto defended himself, frowning in confusion. He had expected his friends to be surprised, of course, and maybe a little skeptical. But this? This he hadn't expected. "It's me, Naruto—"

"Don't say his name!" the younger shinobi screamed, beginning to mold chakra in his right hand.

_This has gone far enough, _Naruto thought, and moved his hands through familiar seals. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu," he said aloud, and one hundred replications of himself appeared around them. He held them just long enough to know that Konohamaru had seen them all, then dispelled them in a puff of white smoke.

Konohamaru gaped at where the clones had been, the chakra in his palm disappearing. His kunai fell to the ground and he looked back at Naruto, hope and disbelief mingling in his eyes. "It… it really is you. How?"

Naruto approached him again, smiling softly. "It was all a lie, Konohamaru. I was only captured, and they wanted you all to believe I was dead. I was alive all along." When he got close enough, he placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, looking into his wide eyes. "It's me, I promise."

The next thing he knew he was lying flat on his back, a hysterical Konohamaru sobbing into his chest. "I can't believe it… I can't believe you're actually alive… I thought you were dead, and they buried you, and we had a funeral…," Konohamaru was murmuring between heavy breaths. "I can't believe you're actually alive."

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Wow! Two reunions in one chapter! O.O And many more to come! Don't worry, they'll become longer and more detailed as I go on, as I'm saving many of the most emotional reunions for later. Thanks for bearing with me; I know it's moving slowly, but it is part of the plan. Thanks again!


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